Terrorism targets integrity, economy of Turkey: Erdoğan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that linking lifestyle differences with the attack at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day was a deliberate attempt to divide the nation and that the state never meddled in how people lived.

"There is no point trying to blame the Ortaköy attack on differences in lifestyles," Erdoğan said in a speech to local administrators at the presidential palace in Ankara.

"Nobody's lifestyle is under systematic threat in Turkey. We will never allow this," the Turkish President affirmed, adding that the attacks are designed to target the Turkish economy.

Erdoğan's remarks followed the mass shooting on Sunday, which killed 39 people and was claimed by Daesh.

Erdoğan recalled the determinism of Turkey to fight against terrorism in Turkey and in the region.

Touching upon the ongoing, Turkey-backed Euphrates Shield operation in Syria, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the Syrian opposition would take the Syrian town of al-Bab from the Islamic State and should be finished soon.

In a televised speech, Erdoğan also said he was determined that other areas of Syria, including the town of Manbij, should be cleared by the Turkish-backed forces, referring to the town 50 km east of al-Bab.